Diesel in fuse box?
 

Hey all, 1998 E300 turbo diesel, so amidst pulling my hair out trying to figure out why my key is not being recognized and left me stranded, I went to swap out the k40 relay with a known good one that I have just lying around...didn’t help the key/no start issue ... but looking around in the fuse box there seems to be diesel fuel (smell and touch) in the bottom of the k40 area fuse box. Anyone ever see this before? For a while we have also been noticing diesel smell in the cabin( when it was acting nicely and driving still)

Recently did extensive ac work and fully cleaned out the water drains, it has been raining, it doesn’t look like water or coolant, how the heck would diesel get over there into the fuse box?


Stumped. This car is acting very badly for me lately 😒

I had the same car but cannot remember location of k40 , is it in with the main ecu’s ?.
If it is then the oil/smell may be transmission fluid that has come up the wiring from the gearbox , it leaks at gearbox and travels slowly over time inside the wiring insulation.
All quite easily curable.

I had the same car but cannot remember location of k40 , is it in with the main ecu’s ?.
If it is then the oil/smell may be transmission fluid that has come up the wiring from the gearbox , it leaks at gearbox and travels slowly over time inside the wiring insulation.
All quite easily curable.

Yes the fuse box I speak of is passenger side under hood near windshield. Wiring going into box does look wet as well, quite a strange thing for that to be happening coming from the transmission, I will have to dig deeper into that possibility, thanks for the idea.

Oh, and it sounds like this did happen to you and or you cured it easily? Seems to
Me like for that to happen it would need pressure pushing oil into wiring insulation? Is there a seal that is under pressure where said wiring harness goes into transmission?

Not sure bout diesel fuel but transmission fluid can and will "wick" to the transmission control unit if the transmission pilot bushing does not get replaced during transmission service.

It is possible for the same thing to happen with the fuel valve. The harness runs across the left side of the engine, across the back side, into the control box. My fuel valve was leaking out the connector and had started working up the harness.

Capillary action will make fluid travel uphill.

Relatively easy to change the fuel valve. On a 98 you can remove the windshield washer tank for access without having to pull the intake.

Be sure to get a new o-ring for the connection to the IP itself. I cannot remember if this o-ring is included or separate from the valve.

Thanks for chiming in guys, I will check both of those areas for leaks once the car comes back from the dealership with the new key that is going to work��